The Memory's End
by zebracakess37
Summary: After deciding to clean up his act, Grell Sutcliff is entrusted by William and the Undertaker with one of the most serious situations the Shinigami realm has ever witnessed. Together, these three will try and stop an oncoming war of life, death, and love, in an attempt to save their race from extinction.
1. Classified Information

The faint clicking of heels echoed down the halls of the Shinigami Library. Grell Sutcliff was on his way to his superior's office for the third time that day, not at all pleased with his extra paperwork. He sighed, finally reaching the solid oak door that read "William T. Spears" in gold letters. Hesitantly, he knocked twice signaling his presence and opened the door, not waiting for approval to enter. Grell crossed over the threshold and into William's office, which was as neat as ever.

The walls were a soft grey and housed a few small degrees and signs. A large wooden desk sat in the middle of the room, filled high with paperwork. There was a black bookshelf to the right of the room that was completely filled with books of all genres. A couch was placed on the left side of the room and a small table with a lamp sat in front of it. And in the middle of all of this was William T. Spears, seated at his desk filling out paperwork per-usual.

Grell closed the behind him and approached William's desk, planting himself in one of the chairs seated in front of the desk. William faltered slightly, but finished his current piece of paperwork before setting it aside and acknowledging Grell's presence.

"Sutcliff," William started. "I am assuming you're here because you've finished your paperwork?"

Grell shifted in his chair and looked down at the papers in his hands. "Yes." Grell replied flatly and handed William the papers, avoiding eye contact. William took the papers and looked at Grell, wondering why he had been acting so very strange lately. Yes, it was very nice that Grell had decided to act like a normal employee and actually do his work, but he had been too quiet and it was concerning William.

William sighed and pushed up his glasses, his eyes glued to Grell, who was now up and walking towards the door. "Grell…" he said a little less strictly.

Grell stopped dead in his tracks at hearing William call him by his first name. He _never_ did that. Not unless something very serious was wrong. Slowly, he turned and faced William, who was still staring at him with just the slightest bit of concern in his eyes.

"We need to talk." William motioned for Grell to take his seat again and leaned back in his chair. Grell nodded silently and made his way back to his seat he had just left, absolutely terrified as to what they needed to talk about. Another demotion? Was he being fired? Grell had spent the last three months behaving himself, what could it possibly be?

Grell pushed his thoughts aside and finally met William's eyes. "Yes..What is it? Have I done something wrong?" Grell asked meekly, not sure what to expect next.

William sighed and shook his head. "No, you haven't done anything wrong. _That_ is what's wrong. Even though I do appreciate you doing your work and behaving, I can tell something is bothering you. Do you care to share with me your feelings?"

"Umm..well.." Grell stuttered. William never acted like he cared. Maybe Grell's plan had worked; maybe he would get what he wanted… "I decided that maybe if I started to behave I would have a better chance with you. I mean, I do all my paperwork, I take all overtime given, I even stopped talking to Sebas-chan." Grell sighed and hung his head. "I just want you to love me, Will. And if that means me acting like a normal human, then I'll do it."

Moments passed before Grell finally raised his head and looked at William, who was now staring off into space. _Damn_. Grell thought. _Maybe I should have kept that to myself and just told him I had a deadly illness. _More moments of silence passed before Grell decided to end this torturous visit. He got up and was just about to make his way to the door for the second time that day before he was stopped, once again, by William.

"Grell. I appreciate you behaving, but...But there is something currently going on that is more important than relationships. And since you've been acting so well lately, I've decided to confide in you, this issue. It is extremely confidential, and if anything gets out about it you can be sure we will both be as good as dead." William paused momentarily and grabbed a file that was lying under some disregarded paperwork. "Here," William said as he handed that file to Grell, "Take this and look over it. While you do that, I need you to go to the Undertaker's shop and he will fill you in on any questions you may have that haven't been answered by the information I've given you."

Grell took the file and nodded, extremely curious as to what could possibly be this important. He was delighted to know that Will was finally confiding in him, but the seriousness of the situation was very unbecoming.

William glanced at the clock, realizing it was still mid-afternoon and turned his attention back to Grell. "You have the rest of the day off to look over the file and go to see the Undertaker. Tomorrow, I expect you to be here in my office at exactly 9:30 a.m. for a meeting. Understood?" William pushed up his glasses and looked at Grell expectantly.

"Yes of course, William. I won't let you down, promise." Grell cracked a small smile and turned to leave, taking the file with him. Once he was out of the office and the door was shut tightly behind him, he slumped down, feeling entirely overwhelmed. He sighed, he honestly just wanted to go home and sleep, but he couldn't let William down.

Grell started to make his way out of the office, stopping by his office to grab his beloved coat and hurried on to the mortal realm to visit the Undertaker. On his way, Grell decided to open the file William had given him, not at all expecting what he saw. He stopped dead in his tracks as he read the letter that had been addressed to William from the Head Shinigami's. One paragraph in the letter stood out to Grell though, one of the most important bits in the whole letter.

"We regret to inform you that, after trying to contain the situation, we are unable. It seems that there isn't a cure for whatever this outbreak may be. All we are for certain is three things: there is a disease that is infecting our race, there is not cure to be found and worst of all, we all have it, deep inside us. William…We're all going to die."

Grell re-read the letter over and over and realized what this meant. There was a war starting, a war that no one could stop.


	2. Codon X

A/N: Hello everyone! In this chapter there is a lot of biology. I wasn't the best in that class, but I tried to do research to make sure what I put into this chapter is correct. I'm really sorry if my science skills aren't to a T, I tried my best! Anyways, I will be updating this story frequently and hope you enjoy it. Happy reading!

* * *

Grell's mind was racing as he continued to read through the file on his way to the Undertaker's shop. He mindlessly made his way through the streets, bumping into people but paying them no mind. He honestly could even begin to understand or grasp this situation, which is probably why William was sending him to the Undertaker.

Finally, Grell arrived at the creepy little shop where the Undertaker resided. It had started to drizzle and the sky was becoming dark. Grell pushed open the door and stumbled into the shop, finding it was pitch black dark. The door slammed shut behind him and he stood in deafening silence for a few moments, attempting to let his eyes adjust. Suddenly something caught Grell's eye and he swore he could see movement, but it was just too damn dark! He huffed and finally gained the nerve to call out into the darkness.

"Undertaker?" Grell called. "I know you're in here. Please come out I really don't like being alone in this darkness."

"Alone? No worries, m'dear. You aren't alone at all." Undertaker whispered into Grell's ear.

Grell would have hit the floor if Undertaker hadn't been standing behind him. Although Grell wasn't fainting because he was in love, he was fainting from flat out terror. Undertaker had been standing behind Grell ever since he had come in his shop, waiting for the moment to scare the little red head. And boy, had that plan worked out well.

Undertaker couldn't help but smile to himself as he carried the now unconscious Grell into the back room. He laid him down on a small black sofa, seeing it unfit to put him in a coffin since he'd already scared him enough. Undertaker took a seat beside him, laying Grell's head in his lap and giggled quietly to himself.

It wasn't long before Grell began to regain consciousness. Grell, being kinda out of it, was a bit surprised to find his head in the creepy old man's lap and he wondered how he'd gotten there. Then the little incident from earlier came back to him and Grell sat up, looking at Undertaker like he was Lucifer himself.

"What the FUCK is wrong with you? You can't just go around scaring people like that, especially at a time like this. We have a CRISIS, from what I've read, going on and here you are lurking around scaring the people!" Grell shouted, extremely enraged by the Undertaker's little stunt.

The Undertaker, a little shocked at Grell's reaction, frowned and whispered, "I'm really sorry, Grell. I am just trying to make the best out of the situation."

"Yeah, well I-" Grell stopped and realized the reason he was here. He sighed, disregarding the incident and went to search for the file in the front of the shop. It didn't take long for him to locate it and he returned to find the Undertaker in the same spot he'd left him. Even though the man did scare the Hell out of him, he did feel bad for yelling at him.

Grell took a seat next to him and began looking through the collection of papers once more. "I'm really sorry about that, Undertaker. I just-You really scared me and I am just so concerned about this situation I lost it." He turned and looked at Undertaker, his creepy grin returning, but only alittle.

"It's fine, deary. No hard feelings. Anyways, William told me he was sending you here to talk to talk about the situation. So go on and ask away." Undertaker sat back and looked in Grell's direction expectantly.

Grell tossed the file to the side and met Undertaker's look. "Hmph. All right. Why not just give me a brief summary of this disease? Everything in this report is so back and forth it seems no one knows that much."

The Undertaker chuckled, "'No one knows that much'. No, deary. You see, they know they just aren't telling us what they know. But luckily they still have a bit of trust for this here fugitive." Undertaker stopped and giggled, but continued on, serious again. "So a brief summary, eh? The disease is called Codon X. It was given this name just recently and thankfully, we now have more knowledge of it. The basis for the disease is, in fact, already inside of us. It is a part of our DNA and cannot be removed. That is where the name 'Codon' came from. See, during the processes of translation and transcription, codons are set into certain codes to make up our genetic material. In our genetic material there is a fault; one that has always been there since we were created. The fault is a microscopic skip in our DNA, separating us from being a human, demon, or angel. We've always known about this skip, but since it has never caused us harm, we simply overlooked it. So with that you have the first part of 'Codon X', let us continue to the 'X' part." Undertaker paused momentarily and pushed his bangs back, staring at Grell with his eyes, hoping he could keep his attention this way if he didn't already have it.

"The 'X' part of the disease is what is the most important. An infectious disease called Xtromagna has resurfaced after being extinct for nearly 3,000 years. Shinigami were never actually exposed to this disease, so we were unaware that it would affect and ultimately kill our kind. This disease affected demons only when it was active back in the day, but was not as strong. Few demons actually contracted the disease, but the ones that did died quickly and there was no found cure. Now, the disease is affecting the Shinigami. No one knows as to where the disease has resurfaced from, but what we do know is that it is infecting the skip in our DNA and infecting our bodies. Another peculiar thing about Xtromagna is that it only infects the skip in the X chromosome and only the left X chromosome in males. Since you can't just remove DNA, there is nothing we can do. The outbreak has started in our Japanese headquarters and is slowly spreading its way in all directions. Luckily, it doesn't affect humans, but the Shinigami are extremely susceptible to it. As for demons and angels, we haven't heard anything. All we know is that Codon X is untreatable and cannot be stopped. We are searching mercilessly for a cure, but we haven't been in luck. Well Grell, is that what you were looking for?" Undertaker was still staring at Grell, who was actually listening to him.

Grell nodded, "It wasn't brief, but I understand what's going on now. So, what are the symptoms for Codon X?"

"When you've contracted the disease, your symptoms start within 3-5 hours. Some symptoms include headaches, nausea, fever, and loss of appetite. These symptoms aren't that bad, but as the disease carries on, the symptoms increase. Loss of sight, hearing, and smell, vomiting, migraines, seizures, and death are the latter symptoms. The disease runs for, at the most, 12 days, if you last that long. It is said that, in some cases, the disease causes you to go utterly mad, resulting in attempted suicide or murder. The diseases symptoms vary with each person though, some not as bad as others, some being extreme." With that, the Undertaker fell silent, no longer knowing what else to say.

Grell looked at Undertaker, finally realizing how much this situation was affecting him. Since he could actually see his eyes, it showed how concerned he was. His usual, bubbly appearance was gone and Grell had a feeling it wouldn't be back for a while.

Sighing deeply, Grell asked the one question that had been nagging at the back of his mind since the conversation started. "So, how long do you think we have before our quadrant becomes infected? That is if we don't find a cure before then."

Undertaker turned and looked Grell dead in the face, "1 month."


	3. Not Too Late

Grell's mind weighted heavy as he made his way back to the Shinigami realm. The Undertaker's words were truly sinking in and Grell had no idea what to think. He finally made his way back home, extremely tired after all of this information he had been given. He flung open his apartment door and stepped inside, kicking off his shoes and making his way to the couch. Grell sprawled out on the couch and almost instantly fell asleep.

* * *

Sunshine seeped through the window and illuminated Grell's living room. Gradually, the redhead began to wake up, realizing that he was still on the couch and he hadn't set an alarm clock. Grell flew off the couch and ran to the bathroom. He had happened to glance at a clock, which read 8:45 a.m. _Dammit!_ he thought as he stripped off his clothes and jumped in the shower. _I'm going to be late!_

Grell took a quick shower, put on a bit of makeup, and quickly dressed, hoping he wouldn't have to keep William waiting. He had actually not been late in about two months and of all days to be late it would be the one where he had to meet with William. Finally, he ran out his front door, grabbing his scythe on the way and hurried to the Dispatch office.

It was mid-October and the temperatures were just starting to drop. Grell shivered at bit at the cool wind that blew, although it barely affected him. The streets were covered with beautiful leaves of all shades. It made Grell smile seeing all the pretty leaves and nature, but now was not the time. He took off at full speed towards the office, not wanting to let William down.

* * *

William's office was completely silent besides the sound of a ticking clock. He sighed, knowing full well that in a few moments that his silence would be disturbed by the wild redhead, who hadn't been so wild lately. William looked down at his paperwork, trying to concentrate but to no avail. He honestly was concerned for Grell and he knew putting him on this case may not have helped, but he felt like he needed to do it. He wanted to be closer to Grell and he wanted Grell to know that he-

"NO! Dammit that's out of line." William slammed his hand down on the table. "I cannot deal with this. Honestly, there is a time and place for everything and this is neither the time nor the place."

William put his head in his hands and huffed, being overly aggravated with himself. He had always had feelings for the redhead and as he started to clean up his act and work correctly, those feelings grew, but with them came a sense of worry. He had been keeping a close eye on Grell, hoping nothing too serious was wrong. Eventually, he figured out that Grell was behaving for William's sake, which was greatly appreciated by Will.

Just as William was about to give himself an intervention, a knock came at his door. His head flew up and stared at the door as it opened to reveal no other than Grell Sutcliff. Grell walked in and smiled, being overly enthused that he had made it at exactly 9:30 and wasn't late. He made his way over to his usual chair he sat in across from Will's desk and flipped his hair over his shoulder.

"Morning, Will. You look a bit tired, did you sleep well?" Grell inquired, seeing his superior looking a bit tense.

William shook his head and straightened up. "Yes, I slept fine. I am just a bit worried about this case we have going on." He lied, but not entirely. He was worried about the case, but that hadn't been on his mind the second before Grell had appeared.

Grell nodded and pulled the file he had been given out of his coat. "I went and saw the Undertaker like you asked. He answered all my questions and told me of some new news that he had heard. Do you already know of it?"

"Yes, I heard that they have named the disease and such. Thank you for doing as you were told, I am glad I assigned you to this case. Anyways," William glanced at the clock, 9:37 a.m., it may not be too late.."have you already had breakfast?"

Grell looked up at William with a shocked expression. Was Will actually asking him…? "Umm, not I haven't. I actually overslept and was in a rush. Why?"

"I thought we could go to breakfast and discuss these matters further. There is also something else that needs to be addressed." William stood and grabbed his coat, beckoning Grell to follow him as he made his way out the door and down the hall of the Dispatch office.


	4. Café Leiyah

A/N: I posted two chapters in one day because Chapter 3 was only 800 words and I felt that wasn't long enough for an update. Anyways, please enjoy the story and review!

* * *

Grell followed William silently as he led them into the mortal realm. He had almost had a heart attack when he realized that William was serious about going to breakfast. William had always been Grell's friend, but they hadn't had much contact outside of work once William was promoted, so this was a BIG deal. Business or not, something was up and Grell knew it.

Finally the two reapers arrived at a small café that smelled of fresh coffee and buttered toast. Few people were accompanying the place at the moment, but that didn't matter. Grell smiled, knowing exactly where they were without even having to glance at the sign.

"Café Leiyah", a small café where Grell and Will would go before Will was promoted. The two reapers use to call it their "little get away", a.k.a. the place they use to go to avoid work. Yes, amazingly William use to have a bit of a rebellious side. It rarely showed, but it was there. After work or whenever the two wanted some time to slack off, they would go to the restaurant and sip tea, making small conversation and laughing at themselves.

It had been back when Grell was happy; back when he thought he just might have a chance with Mr. Spears. But sadly, that small opportunity was snatched away from him as soon as William was promoted. William took on his emotionless façade and became devoted to work, saying he had no time to 'play' anymore. Grell's smile faded a little, remembering how it used to be, how he wished it still was.

As they were seated, Grell shook his head, trying to clear his mind. Hopefully his face wouldn't betray him and show his emotions, hopefully. They both ordered coffee and silence radiated around them.

William took the initiative to break the silence. "You remember this place…Don't you?"

"Of course I do. It was our little place we used to go to.." Grell's voiced faded off.

"Where we would always meet up at and laugh ourselves silly. I thought it would be nice to bring you here. Reminisce in old memories.." William sighed and hoped this would bring out the old Grell. He missed his idiocy even though it gave him overtime. Honestly, he didn't have to completely lock himself away.

Grell smiled, "I do remember us having some grand ole times here. That was back in the good days, before everything got so…complicated."

William was just about to reply when the waiter brought them their coffee and asked what they would like to order. William didn't even hesitate. He told the waiter exactly what both he and Grell wanted and turned back to their conversation. "I understand things got complicated, I am truly sorry about that, but I can't help it. I was given this job and with it came sacrifices. Also if you were wondering, I do remember exactly what you ordered every time we came here, so don't even start with me about it."

Grell couldn't help but giggle at William. He had always been so observant; it was one of his best features. "No worries, Will. I won't tantalize you too much." Grell smiled. "Although, we should probably start talking about the case, right? Isn't that why we came here? Oh and that other mysterious 'business' you were talking about."

William relaxed a bit. Finally, Grell was starting to act like he used to, barely, but just a little. "Actually that was an excuse to leave the office. We can talk about that later since you already know everything up to this point, but there was one other thing I wanted to discuss with you, Grell."

There is was again, the use of his first name. Oh how odd it was that William would do such a thing. He had only done that back in the day, long before William had become his superior.

Grell was shook from his thoughts when his food was placed him front of him. Toast with strawberry jam, eggs, and a few slices of bacon, just what he always ordered. He couldn't help but smile at the memories that came flooding back.

William had ordered toast with butter and eggs, nothing too special, but that was his usual order. He thanked the waiter and began to eat, deciding to wait till they had eaten to reveal his 'mysterious business'.

The reapers ate in silence for the most part, although they did make some small conversation and throw around a few jokes. It was almost like 30 years ago, except now it was different. Now Grell and William were separated by an invisible wall, a wall William was hoping to break. They finished eating and Will realized it was time, but Grell beat him to it.

"So William, you've yet to tell me what you need to address." Grell looked at William and waited, wondering what he could be hiding.

William sighed and prepared himself to do the hardest thing he would ever have to do in his life. "Grell…As you know there is an impending threat that cannot be stopped. You also know we are very limited on time and may not live very long. With all this in mind I have decided that I want you to know the truth. The truth is Grell that I…" William looked into Grell's green eyes and let the words escape his mouth, "I love you."


	5. Too Happy to Notice

_"The truth is Grell that I…" William looked into Grell's green eyes and let the words escape his mouth, "I love you."_

* * *

Time stood still and it was if nothing moved. Grell couldn't even begin to believe what he had heard. Had William just confessed his love to him? Was he dreaming? So many things were racing through his mind that he just sat there and stared at William, speechless.

Finally Grell found his voice and spoke up. "You..love me? I can't believe it. I..I.."

"Yes I know it is hard to believe, but I do love you, Grell. I only treat you otherwise because it is my job and I have no choice." William sighed and reached across the table, grabbing Grell's hand. "I want to know something. Do you honestly love me? I know you flirt with that damned demon and you always say it's nothing, though I can never be for sure.."

Grell didn't even hesitate. "Of course I love you, William! Flirting with Sebastian is all a game in my mind, but you, I actually do love you. I have loved you ever since our final exam. You're my everything, Will."

William looked at Grell and finally let all his walls down. He smiled and felt happiness fill him, happiness he had never felt before. He squeezed Grell's hand and laughed. "Well, I do believe it is time we get back. Are you ready?"

Grell nodded and they got up. William paid the waiter on their way out and thanked him. Will had always loved that café, it was one of the few places he could be himself.

The two reapers made their way out into the streets of London and headed back to the office, hand in hand.

* * *

The next two days were uneventful for Grell. He went about doing his job like normal, although things between him and Will had changed a bit. Now the two spoke a little more and a few kisses were stolen, but nothing crazy, although it had only been two days.

At the moment, Grell was sitting in his office, filling out paper work when his phone suddenly rang. He fumbled for a moment, but finally found his phone and answered it before he missed the call.

"Hello?" Grell said cheerfully.

"Hello, Grell. It's William. I have just gotten some new information on the case. I'm currently out of office so I was wondering if you could go and talk to Undertaker and get caught up?"

Grell smiled when he heard that his Willy was calling him. "Of course, dear! I'll get right on it. Anything else you need me to do for you?"

"No that's it. Thank you for doing this. I didn't want to have to wait to tell you to news. I won't be back until tomorrow morning, we can talk then. Anyways, I have to go."

"All righty, Will! I love you! Have a good day working!"

William snickered. "Love you too, Grell. See you tomorrow."

Grell hung up and flew out the door, heading towards the mortal realm with a smile plastered on his face.

* * *

Grell bounded down the streets of London, it was early evening, around 5 o'clock. Most shinigami would be getting off work and going home now, but if William had to work, Grell would too!

Winter was getting near and it was quite chilly outside. Grell shivered and pull his coat tight around him, though his smile never faded. He continued on his way to the Undertaker's shop, never noticing the shadow that was following him.

* * *

A/N: I'm so sorry I haven't been updating more frequently. I have been having some serious writer's block and it is quite annoying. . Also, I apologize in advance for this extremely short chapter and another cliffhanger. Another chapter will be posted as soon as possible to compensate for my absence/short chapters. The next chapter will be CRAZY, just you wait! (Thank you to those of you who have reviewed and followed this story. It means the world to me!)


	6. Fatal Mistake

Grell was almost to the Undertaker's shop whenever he suddenly sensed a presence behind him. He stopped and spun on his heels, coming face to face with a demon. He was automatically annoyed, not bidding that he would have to deal with a demon on his way.

"Well well well, look what we have here. If it isn't no other than a pretty little reaper." The demon smiled, flashing his fangs at Grell. "What do you happen to be doing out here all by yourself?"

Grell shivered in disgust. Usually he would welcome such an attractive looking man and be a bit flirtatious, but he wasn't in the mood. Not now at least. "I honestly don't think it is any of your business."

The demon laughed, "Oh really? It seems to be my business entirely now that I have you caught in my little web."

As soon as those words left the demons mouth, Grell instantly recognized him. The golden eyes, the glasses, the short black hair, it was no other than Claude Faustus.

Grell took a step back. "You..aren't you that rival of Sebastian's? Claude, isn't it?"

"Indeed, I am." Claude laughed and looked at Grell. "And you're Grell Sutcliff. The one who helped Sebastian, but also the one who let me go. I remember you, reaper."

Grell swallowed hard. There was no possible way this demon could be alive, hadn't Sebastian killed him? He swore that this man was supposed to be dead. He was just about to speak when Claude took the words right out of his mouth.

"I bet you're wondering how I'm alive." Claude looked at Grell with a dangerous gleam in his eyes. "I made a deal. With the Devil." A smile spread across his face at the little joke he made. "Now I'm back on a mission to find something."

"And what would that be?" Grell asked as he continued to back up away from Claude. He looked around to find absolutely no one in sight. Why wasn't there people coming down this street? Then something caught Grell's eye, it was an almost clear film that surrounded them. _Dammit!_ he thought. _He is casting a spell to block off the area around us. _

Claude stepped towards Grell and grabbed him, pulling him close and whispering in his ear. "I'm looking for a meal. And you sweetheart, are just what I need."

Grell flew back and tore himself from Claude's grip. "Excuse me, but I don't think demons want reaper souls. Maybe you should go find some idiot human and make a contract."

Claude shook his head and laughed. "Sorry, but I haven't the time to make a contract. And I do not want to eat just your soul; I want to eat your entire body. Every single bit of you, till you're all gone." He smiled deviously at Grell and lunged forward, just barely missing Grell who had dodged out of the way.

"What the hell is wrong with you!? You're honestly the most disgraceful demon I've ever met." Grell dodged another attempted blow from Claude and summoned his scythe, ready to get down to business.

Claude pulled out his golden silverware and snickered. "Sorry, princess, but I don't think now is the time for lowly insults. Let's just get this over with okay?" With a flick of his wrist, Claude sent five deathly sharp knives flying Grell's way.

Grell laughed and easily deflected the knives with his chainsaw. He ran towards Claude, finally turning on his scythe and swung aimlessly. Claude sprang out of the way, but wasn't quite fast enough. The scythe sliced through his chest, leaving a long gash that was just a bit off from being deep enough to kill him. He landed face first on the ground, but quickly recovered and dodged the next blow with ease.

Time flew by as the two fought, neither doing much damage to the other, no one making any real progress. But suddenly, something happened that turned the tables completely.

Grell was chasing after Claude, getting ready to make another lovely gash in his body, when his phone started ringing. He stopped and hesitated, giving Claude just enough time to take the upper hand. Grell felt his chainsaw fly out of his hands and heard it clatter to the ground. When he looked up, he was once again face to face with Claude. He had made a very fatal mistake. His phone continued to ring and Claude motioned towards his pocket. Grell fished his phone out, never taking his eyes off Claude, and realized who it was. William.

"Answer it." Claude said seriously.

Grell faltered, but answered. "Hey, Will. What's up?"

"Where are you, Grell? Undertaker is worried and has no idea where you are. You were supposed to be there an hour and thirty minutes ago." William was trying to not sound worried, but his voice was betraying him.

Claude looked at Grell and smiled. He grabbed the phone and spoke. "Hello there, William. This is Claude Faustus. I am currently fighting Grell right now, though if he lives through it, I'll be sure he makes it to his little appointment on time. Now, if you'll excuse us, we have business to attend to." He hung up and slipped the phone back in Grell's pocket.

Grell was staring so hard at Claude that if looks could kill, he probably would have died right there. He grabbed him by the neck and dug his nails deep in the skin, but Claude didn't even seem to be effected.

Within seconds, everything went black; Grell felt his body hit the ground. His ears were ringing and he had no idea what had happened. He curled up in a ball and hoped that his death wouldn't be too painful, unless this idiot really intended on eating him. Grell started to hear other voices, but couldn't seem to stay awake. Slowly, he slipped into oblivion.

* * *

Darkness. That is what greeted Grell when he finally awoke. He tried to sit up, but couldn't muster up enough strength. The memories of what had happened earlier flooded back to him and he started to struggle to move, hoping he wasn't in some torture chamber. A hand came to rest on his forehead and he stopped moving, unsure of what to think. A light appeared abruptly and Grell saw who the hand belonged to. The Undertaker was looking down at him with concern in his eyes, which he currently showing.

"Well hello there, m'dear. I'm glad you are awake; you sure gave me a scare earlier. How do you feel?" The Undertaker sat down next to Grell and began to run his hands through his hair.

Grell relaxed under the touch and sighed. "I'm feeling okay right now. What happened back there? The last thing I remember was choking that damn demon and then I was on the ground."

The old reaper smiled a little. "I arrived just as you began to choke him. From what I saw, he used an amazing amount of force and punched you right in the side of the head. You were so taken off guard that you immediately fell to the ground and from there I took over. By the time I had taken care of him and returned to you, you weren't breathing and were completely unconscious."

"Damn, I should have been paying more attention. Hey, how did you know what was happening to me?" Grell questioned.

"William called me back and told me you were battling a should-be-deceased demon. I ran outside to find you two were only a little ways away from the shop. Also, I got your scythe, which is unharmed by the way." The Undertaker nodded towards the corner of the room where the scythe laid.

Grell smiled and took the Undertaker's hand. "Thank you so much for saving me, Undertaker. How can I ever repay you?"

The Undertaker looked at Grell and leaned forward so close that their noses touched. "There is no need to repay me, deary. Although if you really feel the need to give me something, I have one thing I would like to ask of you."

"What would you like, dear Undertaker?" Grell was so engrossed in the Undertaker that he didn't even mind the closeness. He studied his face. Those beautiful, mesmerizing eyes, the lovely battle scars; The Undertaker really was a handsome man.

The Undertaker looked right into Grell's eyes and whispered. "How about a kiss?"

A smile spread across Grell's face and he watched as the Undertaker leaned in and kissed him. All the thoughts of William had slipped away and the Undertaker was the only thing on his mind. Grell couldn't help himself; the way the Undertaker kissed him made him go absolutely insane with lust, but also with love.

The two finally pulled apart, a smile on both of their faces. The old reaper brushed the hair out of Grell's face and sat up. "It is getting pretty late; I'll let you stay here for the night. If you need me, I'll be up front; all you have to do is call my name." He got up to leave, but Grell grabbed his hand.

"Undertaker?" He turned and looked at Grell questionably. "Can you stay here with me for the night? By the way, where am I?"

Undertake giggled and spoke quietly. "You're in my bedroom. I rarely sleep in here for I prefer coffins instead. And yes, dear, I'll stay with you."

He slowly rounded the bed and lay down next to Grell. He pulled the red reaper into his arms and sighed contently. Grell snuggled close to him and slowly drifted off the sleep.

* * *

A/N: PLOT TWIST! :) I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! It is a very nice length and I really enjoyed writing it. Please feel free to review and stuff. Thank you all who are reading this story!


	7. Till Death Do Us Part

A/N: And so...The plot thickens. ;)

* * *

*Riiiiiiiing Riiiiiiiiing* Grell huffed at being awoken and reached out blindly, finally grabbing his phone off the bedside table and answered.

"What?" Grell said in a not-too-happy tone.

"Grell? Where are you? I've asked around and no one saw you come home. We were supposed to meet this morning, remember?" William tried to sound professional, but he was worried where Grell was.

Grell snickered. "I stayed at the Undertaker's. I couldn't even get up yesterday since that idiot demon punched me clean unconscious. What time is it anyways?"

Will glanced over at the clock that hung on the wall in his office. "It's around 10:30 a.m. Why? Haven't you gotten out of bed yet?"

Grell laughed and sighed; happy he actually got to sleep in for once. "Nope. To be honest, my phone woke me up."

"Hmph, well can you please get up and come to the office. You talked to the Undertaker, right?"

Grell thought back to the evening before and realized what had happened. _Oh shit.._he thought. "No, I didn't get a chance. I woke up and went right back to sleep. I'm really sorry. I will get up and go talk to him now-"

William cut Grell off. "Don't worry about it. Just get down here immediately and I will tell you myself."

And with that, William hung up. Grell pulled the phone away from his face, grunted. He was not only pissed because he had been awakened, but also because of William's foul mood.

Grell spoke out loud to himself. "Who the hell do you think you are, William? I could have bloody well died and you call me being rude? Psh." Grell shook his head.

Suddenly something moved underneath Grell and he realized that he was still lying on the Undertaker. He sat up quickly so the old reaper could move.

"I'm sorry if I woke you up, Undertaker. William called and wants me at the office, as soon as possible." Grell said with a hint of sadness in his voice. He honestly didn't want to leave, but it seemed he had no choice.

The Undertaker looked at Grell and smiled. "No worries, deary. It's fine." He sat up and caressed Grell's cheek. "Just make me one promise."

Grell leaned into the man's touch. "Sure. What?"

"Promise me you will come visit me more often? You're so entertaining and I would love to have you around." The Undertaker smiled and showed Grell his eyes, letting him know he was serious.

Grell threw his arms around the old reaper and pulled him close. "I promise I will come visit you as much as I can, but it will have to be after work. So I hope you don't mind staying up late!" He giggled and pulled back to see the Undertaker's face.

A smiled a mile long showed and giggles escaped the reaper's lips. "I do not mind at all, m'dear. Just come on in whenever you please; I'll be here." And with that, the Undertaker pulled Grell close and kissed him.

Grell smiled into the kiss, but couldn't fully enjoy it. His mind was starting to weigh heavy. He knew William had confessed his love to him, but he hadn't done anything else than that. They hadn't gone on dates or anything. Hell! William hadn't even mentioned them being officially together. _So if we weren't officially together, this couldn't be counted as cheating… _Grell thought.

Finally the Undertaker pulled back and looked at Grell. He could see a looming glint in his eyes, but didn't say anything. Instead, the Undertaker crawled out of bed, helped Grell get up in case his head was still causing him problems, and got him ready to leave. He crossed the room and grabbed Grell's scythe, leading him through the shop and to the front door.

"If I were you, you may want to change clothes before going to see Mr. Spears." The Undertaker joked as he handed Grell his scythe.

Grell looked down and sighed. "Dammit. Well he's going to have a wait a bit longer then, isn't he?"

The old reaper laughed. "Yes, he will indeed."

Grell hugged the Undertaker once more and was about to go out the door, but was stopped when a hand grabbed his wrist. He turned and was met with a pair of lips. He was a bit surprised, but relaxed under the touch.

"A kiss for good luck, deary. Please be careful on your way back." And with that the Undertaker released him and Grell went on his way back to the Shinigami realm.

* * *

After running back to his apartment for a quick shower and a change of clothes, Grell was on his way to the office. He looked at his watch and cursed. It was already 11:45 a.m. and he knew William would not be pleased.

Grell arrived at the office and quickly made his way to Will's office, not bothering to knock. He walked in to find William sitting at his desk working, like usual. Grell crossed the room and took at seat, waiting for William to address him.

William sighed and looked at the time. "I'm glad you finally decided to show up. What took you so long?"

"I had to go home and change clothes. I did have an eventful day yesterday." Grell shifted uncomfortably, knowing he was in trouble.

William gave Grell a look over, seeing that a huge bruise covered one side of his face. It was covered up very well with makeup, but Will could tell it was there. He leaned over his desk and pushed Grell's hair out of the way, looking at the bruise closely.

Grell realized what Will was doing and sighed. "I didn't know I had that until I went home this morning. I'm hoping it will be gone soon."

William nodded and sat back. "It should be gone in a few days." William sighed, but decided to just continue on with the news and not waste time on lecturing Grell. "Anyways, we need to talk about the case. It seems we have some good news."

"Really?" Grell perked up. "What is it?"

Will opened one of his desk drawers and pulled out a file. "It seems that the people in our Japanese and Chinese headquarters have found the beginning of a cure." William handed the file to Grell, who opened it and began to study the new information.

"That's great! So we don't need to worry anymore." Grell said a little happier.

William leaned back in his chair and sighed. "That was the case until about an hour ago. I also have bad news. The board just informed me that the disease is still spreading and that the cure is far from finished. Even worse, what we need to make the cure successful is extremely rare."

"So that means…?" Grell looked up at Will and hoped that what he was thinking was wrong.

William nodded and looked at Grell sadly. "That means only the most important reapers can be given the medicine. Also, a vaccine is being produced, but that is limited as well."

"How are they going to decide who is important enough or not? That doesn't seem quite fair to me." Grell tossed the file back on William's desk and put his head in his hands.

"From what I've heard they are choosing the reapers who have high-ranking positions and are very talented. And unless we can find a more abundant ingredient that will work in both the cure and the vaccine, we can't really help the others." A sigh escaped William's lips and he looked down at the ground, not wanting to think of losing his employees.

Tears were beginning to fill Grell's eyes. He couldn't even imagine his friends dying; it would be unbearable. Suddenly a question came to his mind and he raised his head. "Hey Will, how long do we have now? Till the disease reaches our headquarters."

William picked up a pen and tapped it on his desk quietly. "Since they are making some progress, they have succeeded in slowing down the disease a bit. Our time has been suspended. I'm guessing that if no further progress were to be made the disease would affect us around early December."

"So about a month and two or three weeks?" Grell questioned.

William nodded. "Give or take, yes. So we mid as well make it worthwhile, just in case. If nothing improves by the second week in November, I will have to inform everyone in the Dispatch of the disease." He stopped and whispered. "Let's just hope it doesn't come to that."

"Yeah." Grell nodded. "Yeah, I agree."

Silence prevailed for a few moments while the two reapers let everything sink in. Finally, Grell got up and rounded William's desk. Will looked at him questionably, but didn't object whenever Grell sat down and curled up in his lap. Pulling his arms around the red reaper, William realized just how much he loved him. He sighed, content with his current position and whispered in Grell's ear. "I love you. Till death do us part."


	8. Uneasy Feelings

A/N: Sorry for the wait! I've been thinking a lot about how this story shall pane out. ;) Anyways, thank you for all of the favs, follows, and reviews. I really appreciate it! :)

* * *

After a long day of bad news and some messy reaping, Grell dragged himself to his apartment. All he wanted to do was sit down and think about everything that had happened recently. It was really crazy to think not only one, but two men were interested in him.

Sighing deeply, Grell arrived at his apartment and leaned against the door frame, reaching in his coat pocket for his key. To his dismay, he found nothing in either of his pockets except a pen and his phone.

"Dammit. I left my keys on the coffee table." He laid his head against the door and closed his eyes, this day proving to be very trying. After a few moments, he decided he had no choice other than to call William. It was nearing 11:30 p.m. and there was no way he could call someone this late to come help him. And there was no way in hell he was going to break down the door.

He fished in his pocket and pulled out his phone, quickly dialing Will's number. The phone rang a few times before the reaper answered.

"Yes, Grell?" William questioned. Why would he be calling him so late? The last time they had seen each other was at the office after Grell had finally gotten up to go do his reaping and he had seemed fine then.

Grell started a bit embarrassed. "Well, umm, you see I may or may not have locked myself out of my apartment. And I may or may not be calling you because I need somewhere to stay?"

"Oh Grell." William sighed. He wasn't angry, but kind of disappointed. "All right, come on over. The door will be open."

Grell smiled in relief. "Thanks, dear. I'll be there soon." And with that, Grell made his way over to Will's apartment, a skip in his step.

* * *

William sat on his couch, finishing some paperwork. He knew very well that once the red reaper got there, no work was getting done, so he mid as well finish some of it while he had a chance.

Just as he was finishing his last piece of paperwork, he heard the door open and the sound of soft footsteps. Will quickly finished the work and put it on top of the stack. A pair of lithe arms suddenly came to rest around William's shoulders. He looked over to find Grell within a few inches of his own face, smiling ear to ear.

Grell leaned in and kissed Will, who willing kissed back. "Hello, Will! Did I interrupt your work?"

William shook his head and relaxed as the red reaper released his hold on him and rounded the couch, taking a seat by Will. "I finished just as you arrived actually." He pushed up his glasses and stared at the paperwork.

"Okay good! I didn't want to interfere or anything. I know how my William likes to work." Grell leaned over and kissed Will on the cheek, giggling as he did so.

William rolled his eyes and playfully pushed Grell. "Honestly…Hey, have you already eaten? Or do I need to cook something?"

Grell pushed Will back and stuck his tongue out. "No worries, dear. I got dinner before I left the mortal realm. Besides, I don't want to trouble you too much."

"It wouldn't have been any trouble. You remember where everything is right?" William questioned. It had been about eight months since Grell had been over and that was only because he had to drop off late paperwork.

Grell nodded. "Yes I do!" Grell pointed towards the hallway. "The bedroom is at the end of the hall and the bathroom is on the left. Am I right?"

Will snickered. "You are correct. Now go get yourself a bath and I will lay out some clothes for you to sleep in. If you need me, I'll be in the study."

"The study is the door on the right of the hall I'm guessing?" Grell inquired.

William nodded and with that, Grell jumped up and hugged him. He thanked him endlessly then bounded down the hall and disappeared into the bathroom.

Once Will heard the sound of running water, he got up and made his way down the hall to the bedroom. He rummaged through a few drawers, but could only come up with an oversized button up and a pair of red boxers for Grell. He had been saving those since back in the day; Grell getting locked out had been a usual feat.

He laid out the clothes neatly on his bed and decided to change into his pajamas as well. After deciding on what to wear, he changed and went to his study. William plopped down in his padded black desk chair and sighed. Reaching across his desk, he picked up a book and set out to maybe get a few chapters read before Grell reappeared.

* * *

After a long, relaxing shower, Grell found himself standing in the mirror, brushing through his long, wet locks of hair. Much of his stress had dulled away, but there was still one matter lurking in his self-conscious.

Carefully, Grell replaced everything he had used of William's and made sure it was in its exact place. It hadn't taken Grell very long to figure out that Will was a neat freak and wanted everything it its exact place at all times. He pulled the towel tightly around his waist and tiptoed out of the bathroom, not wanting to disturb William, who was probably working.

Grell snuck down the hallway, the coolness of the floor sending a faint chill through his body. The doorknob to Will's room made no sound as it turned and Grell quickly entered the room, closing the door without a sound.

A sigh of relief escaped his lips as he made his way over to the bed to retrieve his clothes. Grell let the towel fall to the floor as he picked up the red boxers and slipped them on. Just as he was about to put on the oversized shirt Will had given him, the sound of the bedroom door opening stopped him.

Grell instantly froze; he could sense William's presence. Light footsteps were heard as Will closed the space between him and Grell. When lightly muscled arms came to rest around Grell's waist he couldn't help but hold his breath.

"William?" Grell questioned as he tossed the shirt back on the bed and turned to face him. They were nearly an inch apart and there was a certain gleam in Will's eyes.

"Do you want to know something, Grell?" Will's embrace tightened slightly and he leaned down to whisper in Grell's ear. "You're beautiful. I still feel ashamed sometimes knowing that it took me so long to reveal my feelings to you. I love you." A smiled graced William's face and he pulled back to look at Grell.

Grell couldn't help it when a few tears began to run down his face. He was over joyed that Will had finally had to nerve to confess his love to him, but there was a nagging feeling deep inside him, a feeling that something had been left unfinished. Grell met William's eyes and forced a smile. "I love you too, William. I'm so glad you were able to confess this to me."

"If you're happy, then why are you crying?" William questioned as he wiped a few tears from Grell's cheek. "I know you are over dramatic, but still. Are you sure everything is all right?" Concern lingered in Will's voice as he looked over the redhead. Something was bothering him, though it seemed he wasn't going to tell him. A feeling of rejection soon came to settle in William's chest. "Do you not want this? Do you not want me? Grell, I need you to tell me what you want."

At hearing these words Grell snapped back to reality and shook his head. He threw his arms around William's neck and pulled his close. "No, Will! I'm fine, I promise. I want you, William. I've loved you ever since we were in the Academy and my love has never faltered. There is just…Something going on in my head, is all. The circumstances we are under right now are weighing on me." He drew back and gave a faint smile.

Even though Will wasn't convinced with his answer, he forced a smile back and nodded. "Whatever you say, Grell. Now let's get you dressed and go to bed. We do have work tomorrow and after looking at your assignments, it seems you will be very busy." Will sighed as he released the red reaper and grabbed the shirt on the bed. He unbuttoned it and helped Grell slip it on.

Once Grell was finally dressed and ready for bed, the two reapers climbed into bed. Will didn't object whenever Grell laid his head on his chest and curled up beside him. He pulled his arms around the reaper and ran his hands through his hair. "Goodnight, Grell. I love you.."

Grell snuggled close to William and hesitated just a bit before replying. "I-I love you too, Will. Sweet dreams."


	9. Puzzle Pieces

_"What the hell has gotten into you, Grell? You've been acting weird ever since that fight with that demon. Did he do something to you? Even your paperwork is lacking a bit. You were doing so good for so long, don't' think just because we have something means you can get off easy. Grell! Are you listening to me?" William yelled at the top of his lungs as he closed in on Grell, who was fighting back tears as he stared at the ground. _

_A hand grabbed Grell's collar and pushed him to the ground. Grell's mind shut off while the yelling continued and he just sat there on the ground. He felt his head being pulled back roughly and skin came in contact with skin. He knew that William had been stressed, especially since news had come out that the disease was getting better, but it would take time…Time that they didn't have. _

_So as the beatings came over and over, as the yelling continued, as Grell's heart broke a little bit more, escape became the only outstanding option. And Grell knew...knew deep down, that that escape was only a portal away._

* * *

The only sounds that could be hear in the small space of the shop was that of sniffling and a faint rustling. It was a bit brighter inside since it was daytime, but the Undertaker's residence was still dark and dreary.

Grell took a moment to collect himself before trying to speak. "Undertaker-r?" His voice cracked as he tried to speak and he swallowed back the hurt that was seeping through his body.

Just as he was about to call out again, the cloaked man appeared, a grin on his face. Though upon closer inspection of Grell, his grin faded and a cold, hard exterior was shown.

The Undertaker gently pulled Grell into a warm embrace and sighed. "Who did this to you, Grell? Did you get into another fight?" His voice was laced with concern as he looked down at Grell's face, which was swollen and streaked with tears.

"I-I…I don't know what I did, Undertaker." New tears threatened to spill as Grell tried to explain his predicament. "William called me to his office and he just started yelling at me. I know he's been stressed, but why take it out on me?"

The old reaper's frown deepened. "William…So he did this to you?" The half-nod that Grell gave was enough for the Undertaker. His anger was brewing and he couldn't help but spout off. "Who the hell does he think he is? Just because he is the supervisor doesn't mean he can treat you this way."

After a moment of deciding, the Undertaker spoke quietly. "You're staying here for a while. I don't want you around him." Grell looked up at him and was about to protest, but the old reaper brought his finger to his lips. "Now, now, no buts. Let's go get you cleaned up."

As the Undertaker helped the broken Grell to the back of his shop, he couldn't help but think about William. He had never had a problem with him; he may have even called him a friend. Eagerness filled the old reaper when he was asked to assist with the case and William was happy he agreed to help. They had spoken on many occasions and he had seemed like a very well-spoken, nice man. The Undertaker was none too pleased to see this darker side of Will.

The old man helped Grell into the bath, his mind still racing. He told the red reaper he would be back soon and to get washed up. It hurt his soul to see those broken eyes look at him and it hurt even more knowing who had done this. This hadn't even been the first time he had to come to Grell's aid, which made the Undertaker that more resentful towards William.

The long black cloak was tossed to the floor as the Undertaker entered his room. He flung his hat onto his dresser and sat down on the bed, his head in his hands. It was apparent that something had to be done about this, but what? The old reaper looked up towards the open door and finally made his decision. Things were about to change.

* * *

The setting sun cast a long shadow on William's desk as he finished his last bit of paperwork. His mind had not been in his work today, especially after the morning's incident. Will knew he hadn't meant to hurt Grell, but he just couldn't help it. The man had always been there for him and he had taken advantage of it.

Right as William was about to sign the last sheet of his overtime, his phone began to buzz in his pocket. He huffed in annoyance and pulled out his phone, surprised to see Grell was calling.

William quickly answered. "Grell! Look I was going to call you as soon as I got done with work and tell you I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"I don't think that will be necessary, Mr. Spears. I'm not sure Miss Grell wants to speak to you at the moment. I am only calling you to tell you she will be staying with me for a few days. Take those few days to cool off, maybe?" The Undertaker's voice housed absolutely nothing but total seriousness.

Will's eyes grew wide as he realized who he was speaking to. "Undertaker? Wait, Grell is with you?"

The old reaper snickered. "Yes, Grell is with me. And will be staying with me for a bit. I hope you haven't any problem with that. Hmm?"

" I umm..I guess not. Undertaker I want you to know that I didn't mean to hurt him, I-." William stuttered as he tried to put himself in the right, but the Undertaker wasn't buying it.

"_Her_. Didn't mean to hurt _her_, eh? You know, Mr. Spears, this isn't the first time I've dealt with Grell being hurt, nor is it the first time it has involved you. If I were you, I would think before I did things. Now, it is Monday, I shall say Miss Grell will be back by Wednesday morning. Also, I will be with her. There is news we need to discuss about the case. Oh and Mr. Spears?" The Undertaker couldn't help but grin as he degraded William.

William, totally taken aback, could only stutter. "I-I…Uh, Yes, Undertaker?"

A full-fledged grin graced the Undertaker's lips as he spoke his last little warning. "If I find that Miss Grell is hurt anymore and it involves you, you may want to rethink that job of yours. I may not be a classified reaper anymore, but I can sure bet that if I were to, I don't know, say something to the higher ups about how you treat your employees, I can guarantee your pretty little name plate wouldn't be reading 'supervisor' anymore. Are we clear?"

William remained completely silent. He was shocked at what he was hearing, but he knew it was true. The Undertaker had extreme power and compared to him, William didn't stand a chance. "Yes. I understand."

"Good." The Undertaker smiled, knowing he had defeated his opponent. "Have a nice evening, Mr. Spears. Take some time to think till Grell gets back; might do you some good." With that the old reaper rung up and giggled loudly.

William slowly took the phone away from his face and stared straight ahead. He couldn't believe this was happening. He knew his actions had consequences, though he never thought they would be this great. Finally, he finished his work and left the office, his mind in a haze that had no sign of lifting.

* * *

Even though he wasn't fully conscious, Grell could overhear the conversation that The Undertaker was having. After gaining a bit more consciousness, he realized he was talking to William. Grell struggled to sit up, but gave up on the act and laid back in the bed he was in. He looked around to find he was, once again, in the Undertakers bedroom.

Suddenly the talking stopped and footsteps could be heard coming down that hallway. Grell looked towards the door as it slowly opened to reveal a barely dress reaper. The Undertaker entered the room, only wearing his pants and boots. A blush graced Grell's cheeks and he tried to advert his eyes.

"Hello, Miss Grell. I hope I didn't wake you." The Undertaker's voice was like velvet as he made his way over to lie down beside Grell. It was apparent that the redhead was flustered by his appearance, but he honestly didn't mind dressing down in front of him.

Grell shook his head and watched as the man took his place next to him. "You didn't wake me, dear. I woke up just a little while ago. Were you talking to William? I thought I overheard you say his name." Even though he tried not to, Grell couldn't help it as his eyes ran the full course of the reapers body that was next to him.

The Undertaker chuckled he watched the embarrassed Grell try to speak. "Yes, I called him to tell him you would be staying with me till Wednesday. I thought it would be best if you were given some time to recover, don't you agree?"

Grell was shocked to hear that he was getting time off and better yet, he would be staying with the Undertaker! He processed this and smiled. "I agree. Thank you so much, dear! I haven't had time off in ages!" He couldn't resist himself as he rolled over and grabbed the old reaper, wrapping him in a tight embrace.

The Undertaker giggled as he pulled his arms tightly around Grell. He stroked the red reaper's hair and smiled. It was obvious that he had feelings for the man. Ever since they first met, the Undertaker knew that there was something about the redhead, that he wasn't just a flirt. And after giving it some thought, the old man decided he would reveal his feelings, even if it went badly.

A sigh escaped the Undertaker's lips and he began to speak. "Grell, can I tell you something? A secret, perhaps?"

Grell loosened his grip on the man and curled up against him, but kept his eyes on his face. "A secret? You can tell me anything!" He could tell the reaper was being serious, but he couldn't help the excitement that seeped into his voice.

The old reaper chuckled and cupped Grell's cheek gently. "Grell, I want you to know that I, well, I don't know how to say this…" Before he continued, the Undertaker brushed his bangs out of his face so that his eyes showed. He watched as Grell's eyes widened a bit at the sight. "Grell, I believe I may be in love with you."

As soon as the words left the Undertaker's mouth, Grell felt it. That nagging in his chest ceased and his heart stopped hurting. Something deep within him clicked and he felt whole for the first time in a long time. Tears of joy filled his eyes and he flung his arms around the old man's neck.

"You have no idea how I feel. I have always felt like there was a hole in my heart and now…Now I don't feel it. I'm so happy that you've decided to tell me this, Undertaker." A smile was plastered on Grell's face as he snuggled into the crook of the Undertaker's neck.

"So that means..?" The Undertaker was happy that the redhead felt this way, but did that mean that it was a mutual feeling? His worrying only stuck around for a few moments before he heard the words he has always wanted to hear from Grell.

Without a bit of hesitation, Grell leaned back and looked deep into the Undertaker's eyes. "That means that I love you. Without a doubt in my heart I know that I really do love you, Undertaker."

The Undertaker's eyes burned with joy and upon hearing those words from his little redhead, he grabbed him and crashed their lips together. The two reapers kiss was passionate and filled with words that couldn't be spoken. Like two pieces to a puzzle, they fit together perfectly.

Grell pulled himself on top of the Undertaker and straddled his hips. The two fought for dominance as they kissed but the Undertaker won out. As their kiss deepened, their hands wandered each other's body. Although they knew where they were heading, their actions were not solely lust filled. Passion seeped through their bodies and they melted together.

Before long, clothes littered the floor and the silence of the Undertaker's shop was disturbed by the sounds of pleasure. An aurora so powerful radiated off the two reapers that it could cause anyone within a few feet utter happiness.

It wasn't until the dawn appeared that silence once again prevailed throughout the dark shop. The Undertaker and Grell lay together in bed, curled up in each other's arms, overtaken by sleep.


	10. Dual Lovers

A/N: Hey there, readers! I hope you have been enjoying reading this here story! I've been enjoying your feedback and thank you all. I apologize if the ending of the previous chapter was awkward, because I felt reaaaaally awkward writing it. Anyways, please read on for chapter 10! :)

* * *

November had finally arrived as well as the change in weather. The sky was knitted with gray clouds and a chilling breeze blew. The streets of London stood still; even the birds were few. Amongst all this an eerie feeling began to set in, a feeling of dread.

Though it was terrible outside, within a small shop, warmness prevailed. Two reapers scrounged around to get dressed and ready on time. Even though it had been a long two days, neither could believe it was already Wednesday.

Even in the short time that Grell and the Undertaker had spent together, they had bonded immensely. They had sat around and giggled while drinking tea. Grell finally got up the courage to try some of the Undertaker's bone cookies, which he found were delicious. Most importantly though, the old reaper had allowed the redhead to watch him work, and that was a privilege.

As the time neared for them to leave, Grell began to get nervous. He had been talking a lot about William and the incident, but more importantly the fact that he had two men. It was weighing on his mind and he couldn't help but wonder what was going to happen when they met up with William.

"Something wrong, dearie?" The Undertaker asked as he wrapped his arms around Grell's waist from behind. He could tell he was deep in thought.

Upon hearing his name, Grell shook himself out of his thoughts and smiled. "Of course not! I'm just a bit nervous. That's all."

The Undertaker nodded and released his hold on the redhead. "Well, don't worry. I won't let him hurt you." He glanced at a small clock on the wall and sighed. "Sadly, we must be leaving. We wouldn't want to anger him anymore by being late."

Grell agreed and crossed over to the nearest wall while the Undertaker locked up the shop. Pushing aside his thoughts for the time being, he focused hard on creating a portal. After a few moments, a glowing circle appeared and he stepped back from the portal.

"Hurry, dear!" Grell called, but barely got out his words before an arm wrapped around his waist and pulled him through the portal into the Shinigami realm.

* * *

William sat at his desk and stared straight ahead, neither moving nor breathing. Even though it wasn't necessary for Shinigami to breathe, they were supposed to for image purposes. Although at the current moment, Will could care less about his image.

Ever since he had gotten off the phone with the Undertaker, he had been thinking about Grell. Was he okay? What was he doing? Why had he chosen to go to the Undertaker? William knew the man had saved him before, but he never knew they were close. His mind raced as he thought of all the possible questions he could think up.

And the more he sat and thought, the sicker he became. He could feel his chest begin to tighten and his eyes glistened with tears. Will glanced quickly at the clock and realized that in any second the two reapers could arrive. After rearranging his desk and attempting to look like he was working, William wiped his eyes and sat back in his chair.

Almost as soon as he had gathered himself a knock came upon his door. William glanced up and sighed. "Come in." He stared hard at the door, mentally preparing himself for whatever may be waiting for him outside of it.

The office door opened slowly and in walked the Undertaker, who loosely held Grell's hand as he entered behind the old reaper. The door made no sound as it shut and the two reapers made their way across the room, taking a seat in front of Will's desk.

Anger and utter hurt seethed through William's veins as he looked at the picture in front of him. The Undertaker holding Grell's hand? What was that all about? It couldn't be that…? But just as he was about to get lost in his thoughts, the Undertaker cleared his throat. Will's head snapped up and he came back to reality.

"Hello. I'm glad you all could make it. Undertaker, you said there was news we needed to discuss?" William tried to keep his tone level and was struggling.

A smug smirk housed the Undertaker's face. He knew all too well that Will was suffering. "Ah yes, there is new news to be told. Apparently the disease is still spreading. I talked to the people at the Japanese and Chinese headquarters and they said a cure has been found. They are attempting to mass produce it right now, but it may be months before it is finished. Also, I have been in touch with the Russian headquarters, they say that by Christmas the disease should enter Europe and London will be affected by early January."

William mulled over this new information and thought for a moment. "Where is the disease currently?"

"Well, the Russian people have done a marvelous job at slowing down the spread, but it is currently almost overtaken the entire country of Russia. India and Iran headquarters have also reported the disease in their area." The Undertaker spoke seriously and quietly. Whether or not he enjoyed torturing William, he decided to save it for later.

"So everywhere between Japan and the majority of Russia is infected. Am I correct?" William questioned the Undertaker and leaned forward, crossing his hands and laying them on his desk.

The Undertaker nodded. "You are correct. Turkey is expected to become infected in the next few weeks and that includes the surrounding countries."

"And the cure? You're sure that there is-" Will was cut off before he could finish his sentence.

"They are trying their best, Mr. Spears. We all know that the cure contains rare elements and we can't rush them. There is a small stock being made and shipped out for the important reapers and containment areas are being built. Until they can find a way to increase the growth rate of the elements needed for the cure or find an alternative element, we're just going to have to suffice with what we get." A sigh escaped the old reapers lips as he finished his speaking. He knew a lot of reapers were going to die before their destined time and it really bothered him.

Will nodded and became silent. He looked up and saw Grell, realizing he had forgotten he had been there since he hadn't spoken a single word. The redhead's face was casted over by a frown and he looked like he was deep in thought. It pained William even more to see Grell like this.

The Undertaker looked between Grell and William, making a final decision. He reluctantly stood up. The two reapers directed their attention towards him as he rose. He spoke quietly. "I am going to leave you two alone for a moment. I would like to speak to the higher ups. I believe I have an idea that they would be interested in."

The Undertaker turned to leave, but stopped and leaned over Grell, giving him a light kiss on the cheek. He whispered so that William couldn't hear. "If you need me, all you have to do is say my name and I will come." With that, he turned and strode out of Will's office, closing the door behind him.

Once the Undertaker had left the room, William lost it. Seeing the Undertaker kiss Grell had made it even worse. The tears made little lines down Will's face as he began to speak. "Grell, I'm so-I'm so sorry. I-I didn't mean to hurt you, I promise! Please don't hate me." He laid his head in his hands as he choked back sobs.

Grell was totally taken aback by Will's behavior. He had seen him break down but never like this. He slowly rose from his chair and rounded William's desk. He kneeled down beside the crying man and took his hand. "William. Please don't cry. There is no reason for you to cry like this. I understand why you did it and I forgive you, okay? There is no reason to be upset."

William's head snapped up and he pulled his hand away from Grell's grasp. "No reason to be upset?! You have to audacity to come in my office with another man holding your hand and tell me not to be upset? He kissed you Grell! Right in front of me! By god, what the hell have you been doing for the past two days, huh?" He stood up and looked down at the red reaper. Anger began to take over the hurt that pulsated through his veins.

Grell put his head down as Will began to yell at him. He knew what he had done was wrong, but he couldn't help it. He had come to love the Undertaker and he had started to rely on him a lot. He knew he was safe with the old man and he knew his love wasn't going to falter.

As William stood up, Grell flinched away from him. All of Will's anger ceased and he realized what he was doing. To see the one he loved cringe because of him, it hurt him deeper than anything else had that day. He became silent and sighed. Will bent down and sat in front of Grell. "I'm sorry, Grell. I don't know what's gotten into me lately." His voice was gentle as he spoke.

Grell raised his head and looked at William, no longer seeing anger in his eyes. Tears began to fall down his face and he flung his arms around Will's torso. There were no words that could be spoken at the moment; for no words could have explained how Grell felt.

Will pulled the redhead into his lap and stroked his hair. As he held the weeping reaper, a thought slowly began to form in his mind. The longer he sat there, the clearer the reality became. Grell was in love with more than one person, and it was eating him alive.


	11. He Knew

Moonlight sent slivers of silver through the partially open window. The cool November breeze blew and the red curtains wiped silently. Darkness covered everything and in the middle of it sat a lonely soul.

How was it possible to be lonely when you have everything you wanted? Sometimes a person gets too much and then they have to make a choice. That choice is something so complicated and profound that that individual no longer feels happiness. Sadness, guilt, hurt, pain, that aching in your heart; it all replaces your happiness.

As these thoughts lingered in his mind, Grell laid in his bed alone. After leaving Will's office earlier that day, he had realized that his secret was out. The way William had looked at him, he knew. He knew that Grell's heart also belonged to another, but he didn't shun him. Instead, Will had accepted this and pushed it aside, but not before telling Grell he wouldn't be just another man to him.

Knuckles went white as they gripped the red satin bed sheets and Grell felt warm tears forming in his eyes. The memories washed over him and the aching came, dull and constant.

He had fled from the office, not wanting anyone to see him lose it. As the chilly breeze blew, the tears that had been shed seemed to send a chill through his body. A hand had grabbed his shoulder and stopped him dead in his tracks. And he knew. It was time to face the truth, a cold hard truth that he thought he could escape from for just a little bit longer.

"You lied." The words were spoken with such anger that it could have stopped someone's heart. The grip on him tightened and he knew. It was done. He had made a big mistake and forgiveness looked far away.

"I-I didn't lie. I love you! I love you so much!" Muffled by the sobs, the words jumbled together and became incoherent.

The grip loosened a bit. "Then why? Why didn't you tell me it was like this?" Voices laced with velvet rang in the wind. He knew, but he couldn't do it. There was no way he could leave this broken tangled mess.

It was a red blur as Grell spun on his heels; becoming face to face with his biggest monster. "Because I couldn't lose you! I need you. Please…" The sobs doubled and he felt the ground underneath him. The cold seeped into him and overtook his being, all his warmth was gone in its wake.

"I am not going to leave you. I understand how you feel, for I was once in the same position as you are. Do not be ashamed. I still love you, Grell. But if you love me, I need you to do something for me." He sensed that presence in front of him and he looked up into those brilliant greens eyes. In those eyes it showed; all the hurt he had caused him and all the anger he felt. No one with such eyes could hide their feelings with eyes like that.

It was like an automatic reaction, he nodded his head and waited for words to be thought over, processed, and spoken. "I need you to choose; Me or him." A light kiss was pressed to his lips and then it was gone. His warmth had left him alone with a decision.

And he knew.

"I have to choose…" The words left his mouth and he rose, no longer in control of himself. His feet took him home, but not to the right home, for this home was empty. Home is where the heart is, but what if your heart has more than one home?

Then you can't go home.

Nothingness.

Hatred.

Remorse.

Pain.

But worst of all; Silence.

Nobody was there to fill the spaces. Nobody was there to melt the ice and bring the warmth. Nobody was there to scare away the monsters. Nobody was there to tell him everything would be okay. Because it wasn't going to be.

And in that moment, Grell looked out his window and stared at the moon. The moon was inconstant and every changing, but he felt it could hear him. "I shouldn't swear by the moon…" The words were soft and gentle.

And as the time tickled away he realized what was going to happen. It was as if a vision was given to him by some unknown being. Tragedy was coming. Tears and darkness. And it was cold. And there was death. And he knew.

Death was coming.

* * *

A/N: This is a short chapter. . I'm so sorry, but I thought it was important to get this chapter out there. It may be hard to follow, so I am sorry. Longer chapters will be coming and such. Happy reading!


	12. Neither

The sound of a pen scribbling on paper was the only thing heard in Grell's office. Getting caught up on work was a hassle, but it was necessary. Another piece of paperwork was laid to the side as it became finished.

Suddenly a knock came at the door and the scribbling ceased. A moment of hesitation settled before Grell decided to speak. "Come in." He had lost all his emotion and didn't even try to be happy anymore. Faking it took too much energy.

As the door opened and closed, a presence became known in the room and the atmosphere changed. For once in the past few days, a smile was shown on Grell's face. "Hello, Ronnie! I haven't seen you around here lately!" It couldn't be helped whenever he rose from his desk chair and bounded after the younger reaper.

Unlike most people, Grell didn't bother Ronald one bit. As his partner and best friend, the dramatic redhead had just become a normal part of his life. "Haven't seen me? Where have you been the last few weeks, Grell-senpai? I've missed you."

Grell finally reached Ronald and gathered him up into a big hug. "Oh I'm sorry, dear! I have been out of office with a case. And I've surely missed you too!" He smile widened knowing that he had a best friend like Ronnie.

He returned the red reapers embrace and giggled. "I guessing you're back for good then, eh? My life was been quite boring lately; you know, since you are my usual hotspot for office drama."

A giggle escaped Grell's lips and he released the younger reaper. He smiled at him and ruffled his hair, knowing it bothered him. "Ah, yes. Well no worries, sweetie, for I have some new drama to tell you. And it is worth your while."

Ronald raised his eyebrow at Grell's words. Whatever this man was talking about seemed very intriguing and there was no way he was going to miss out. "Well I am interested. Dinner tonight? The usual?" He handed Grell the papers he had been told to bring him and waited for his answer.

Grell took the papers and thought for a moment before deciding. "Of course. Sounds great. What time? Say about 6 p.m.?"

The younger reaper turned and made his way to the door, but stopped before he left. "6 o'clock sharp. Gotcha." Just as he was about out the door, Ronald stopped and leaned his head in. "By the way, boss wants to see you. Thought I would let you know."

The red reaper had almost made it back to his desk when he heard this. William wanted to see him. The two reapers hadn't spoken in three days. Grell nodded and thanked Ronnie before he laid down the papers on his desk. Sighing, he prepared himself for whatever was about to happen and slowly made his way to William's office.

* * *

Since Grell had tried to avoid being near William at all costs the past couple days, it wasn't a surprise that he wanted to see him. There was no real reason as to why he had been staying away from him; he just thought he may have wanted some time. Grell knew either way it was going to be awkward and he just didn't feel emotionally up to talking to Will.

Even after three days, Grell had come nowhere close to a decision on who he wanted to be with. Both had their pluses and minuses and they evened each other out. Although now it was certain that even though Grell wasn't ready to talk, he was going to have to.

As the red reaper arrived at William's office, he sighed and didn't even bother knocking. He pushed open the door and shut it quietly, not wanting to disturb the working reaper. He crossed the room and sat in his usual seat across from Will's desk.

Will was in the middle of paperwork whenever Grell had arrived at his office and wasn't entirely too happy about him not knocking. Yes, he had been used to the old Grell flying into his office and bothering him, but that had been ages ago. Now whenever he did that, it just served as a more signified annoyance.

He quickly finished his work and sat back in his chair. Will gave Grell an indiscreet over look before he started talking. "Thank you for getting back on track, Sutcliff. You've been making my job a lot easier."

_Sutcliff_. The word rang through his mind. William hadn't called Grell his last name in over a month. And as soon as he said it, the burning ache in the redhead's chest set in. He struggled to keep his emotions under control. Grell's mouth opened, but no words came out. He just sat there in total silence while he felt his insides slowly rot away.

Whenever he didn't hear an answer, William looked up at Grell. It was obvious that he was hurting and his addition of using his last name hadn't helped. Will knew exactly what he was doing, but he couldn't help torturing the redhead. "Is there a problem, _Mr_. Sutcliff? You seem ill. Maybe you should go to the infirmary." His voice seethed sarcasm and he knew where he was going with this.

Grell's head snapped up and his eyes glared daggers at Will. "Maybe you should go to Hell." And with that, the red reaper stood up and left, but not before saying the one thing he knew that would hit Will where it hurt. "I always had a feeling you would end up alone."

* * *

_"I always had a feeling you would end up alone."_

Alone. The word echoed through the room and melted into William's entire being.

Alone. A word that had haunted him ever since he had taken his job as supervisor. He knew that if he took the job, that he wouldn't be able to act like he had used to.

Alone. The word he had described to Grell after having his job for about three years.

Alone. What he had always felt when he would go home and lay in bed, crying himself to sleep every night.

Alone. What William knew he would always be.

* * *

Articia Tavern was one of the most popular restaurants in the Shinigami realm. Ever since Ronald had become paired with Grell, they had made it tradition to go eat dinner together at least once a week, though they usually ate out about every other day.

It was a Saturday evening and oddly enough, the place wasn't that crowded. Grell waved at the waitress as he headed to his usual table and sat down. It was 6:15 p.m. and Ronald hadn't shown up yet, though it wasn't an unusual feat. It was tradition for Ronald to be at least thirty minutes late to dinner, so Grell went ahead and ordered their drinks along with their food.

6:30 p.m. finally rolled around and in came Ronald, half-running half-tripping over to their table. Grell couldn't help but giggle at him. After working alongside the man for almost a year and a half now, he came to realize that Ronald was extremely clumsy.

Finally the younger reaper plopped down in his chair and sighed in relief. "Damn! Them souls are getting wilder and wilder every day. It took me ages to fight off that last one. Maybe if my PARTNER had been there it would have been easier." Ronald winked at Grell and took a sip of his beer that had been ordered for him.

Grell laughed and waved him off. "Maybe if you actually arrived to dinner on time for once in your life you wouldn't have to worry about such issues." He looked at Ronald who was grinning at him and he smiled. Grell really enjoyed being around the younger man and he always seemed to bring joy into his life.

After a few moments, their dinner arrived. Small conversation was made as they ate, but for the most part it was silent. The two reapers had always been like this and neither of them found it odd.

Once dinner was finished and their plates were taken away, Grell gave Ronald a sly wink and stood up. He reached down and grabbed the younger reapers hand, pulling him off into the back of the restaurant.

Only a few fortunate reapers new about the hidden bar in the back of the tavern and it was usually kept a secret. Lucky enough for Ronald, Grell had known about the bar since the place had opened so the two always ended up there at the end of the evening. The bar area was quiet and barely populated, so it was easier for the two reapers on talk about more serious business. Few reapers were currently housing the place so Grell made his way over to a secluded corner, all whist dragging Ronald with him.

Both reapers made themselves comfortable in the black lounge chairs. The bartender saw them enter and brought over two cups and a bottle of whiskey. Grell and Ronald looked at each other and smirked, both knowing that it was about to be one hell of an evening.

* * *

Two bottles of whiskey and five shots of tequila later, Grell and Ronald were laying on a couch giggling their brains out. The bar was open 24 hours, so neither was in a rush to get home.

"So, you're telling me that you have two boyfriends?" Ronald looked at Grell questionably and laid his head on the older reapers shoulder.

Grell smiled and ruffled Ronald's hair. "Yes, that is exactly what I'm saying. And I have to choose between William and the Undertaker."

The younger reaper huffed. "Why the hell can't you just have both? I mean, sharing is caring, right?"

Grell shook his head and laughed. "Sorry, Ronnie, but it's like that in the real world. Not saying I wouldn't like to have both of them but still, it isn't an option."

Ronald thought this over and sighed. "Well, which one do you like better, senpai?"

The red reaper thought for a moment before answering. "I'm not sure. One quality that one has, the other one doesn't and so forth. They are opposites. It's like the best of both worlds." A sigh escaped his lips and his mind became heavy.

Upon seeing the change in his friend's emotions, Ronald sat up and pulled the man in his arms. "Hey." He whispered. "Don't let it get you down. They both still love you, so you haven't lost them yet."

"Yeah, I haven't lost them _yet_. If I can't make a decision they will leave me." Grell pulled back and looked into Ronald's eyes. "I don't want to be alone, Ronnie. I just don't know who to choose."

The younger reaper looked into Grell's eyes for a moment before a thought came to his mind. He pulled the red reapers head close to his and whispered in his ear. "If you can't choose one and you can't have both, then don't fret. Just choose neither of them."

Grell's eyes widened and it suddenly hit him. After all this time of thinking and stressing about who he was going to choose, the answer was right there in front of him.

He would choose neither of them.


	13. Deceit

The warm colors of autumn were soon becoming a spectrum of blues and purples. Temperatures continued to drop, but a certain red reaper's mood was on the rise.

It had been a week since the incident with William and the Undertaker and Grell felt good for once. After spending the evening with Ronald, Grell decided to take matters into his own hands. He realized he couldn't be sad all the time, especially when he knew his time was limited.

So as the redhead made his way down the frost cover sidewalk to work, he didn't particularly mind that he was about be face to face with his demons. But as he walked with not a care in his mind, he ceased to realize that a black aura was following in his wake.

* * *

An awkward silence radiated through William's office as he and the Undertaker waited patiently for Grell to arrive. A meeting had been scheduled for 11:30 a.m. and the time was verging on 12 p.m. Will's level of annoyance was rising as the minutes ticked by and the room became almost unbearably uneasy.

Finally at 12:15 p.m., the redheaded reaper made his way into the office. Since it was supposed to be his day off, he was dressed casually. Grell strutted down the hallways in his black leather jacket, fitting red t-shirt, and tight black pants. A pair of red stiletto heels clicked loudly as he walked as if announcing his presence. His outfit had been planned out perfectly and he knew exactly what he was doing.

* * *

As the door opened, both reapers eyes snapped up to look at the visitor. Once they laid their eyes on Grell, it was hard to take them off of him. The red reaper took his seat next to the Undertaker and smiled at both of the men warmly.

William finally peeled his eyes off Grell and coughed awkwardly while the Undertaker continued to discreetly look at redhead from the corner of his eye. Even though the redhead pretended to not notice the attention he was getting, it was obvious that he knew.

William cleared his throat and finally spoke. "I'm glad you could finally make it, Grell. We thought you weren't going to show up." He glanced over at the clock and stared hard at Grell.

"Sorry, William. You were aware it was my day off, so I took my time getting to the office since I'm not actually supposed to be here. Is that so wrong?" Grell's voice was innocent and sweet, but it didn't fool anyone.

"I understand that, but I would have appreciated it if you had at least been on time." Will sighed and let it go. "Anyways, we have some serious business to discuss."

The Undertaker shuffled nervously and suddenly Grell sensed the serious in the room. He looked between the two reapers. "What is it?"

William picked up a pen and tapped it on his desk. Obviously the two were ignoring his question and it was really agitating Grell. "Hello? What is going on?"

"Well." The Undertaker began. "It seems a problem has arisen."

Grell raised his eyebrow at the old reaper. "A problem? What do you mean?"

William and the Undertaker made eye contact for a moment. William silently vouched to speak. "It seems that our case may be coming to a close shortly. Shorter than we had hoped."

"Why is that bad? Doesn't that mean that everything will be over and we can go on with our lives?" Grell was confused as to why there was such a negative tone filling the room.

Will shook his head. "No. It means the exact opposite. Yes, there is a cure and there is a vaccine being made, but the disease has kicked into full gear. It has spread twice as quickly that past week than it had been spreading in the last month."

"So…" Grell started but didn't finish. He didn't dare speak the words.

The Undertaker took this as his turn to speak. "So it is time to warn every one of the coming events."

Grell looked at the old man sternly. "You said we had time before-"

"We were wrong." William's words echoed through the room. "Our time has been cut once again."

The red reaper mulled over these words and finally decided upon his next question. "When will it be here?"

William and the Undertaker glanced up at each other and were silent. Grell could tell they were deciding on how to tell him. It really angered him sometimes how the two treated him like a child.

It didn't take very long for the old reaper to take up the responsibility of delivering the bad news. "Mr. Spears and I have concluded that we have till Christmas at the latest. By January, unless a cure is somehow magically mass-produced, our numbers will be reduced by 75%."

"What?! Are you saying that three-fourths of the reapers in our district are going to be dead?" Grell tried not to raise his voice, but it couldn't be helped.

"I'm really sorry, Grell. We can only hope that in the next few weeks we have left that the people in the other districts can find a way to stop this permanently." William's voice was calm and quiet, though it didn't help the situation. "Once December comes, we will have an announcement made to everyone in our London sector about what is to come. That's all we can do."

Grell became completely silent. He had no more words to say about to current subject. Pulling his jacket tighter around himself, the redhead rose and made his way out of William's office and out of the Dispatch all together. He made his way home, the black aura now catching up with him, entangling him in future misfortune.

* * *

William winced as Grell slammed the door behind him. He knew that it was really going to affect the redhead, but he could never get use to his anger. It was honestly scary to see Grell angry, nevertheless angry _and_ upset.

The Undertaker took a moment before releasing his words. "You know what we have to do, don't you?" He raised his head and revealed those mesmerizing eyes.

William held the old reaper's gaze for a few seconds before he rose from his chair. He gracefully walked to his window and peered out at the world. By the looks of it, snow would be arriving any day now and the warmth would soon be but a memory.

"I know exactly what we have to do. We have month, maybe not even that. So, how will we work this out?" William questioned the man and turned slightly to look at him.

A finger touched the Undertaker's chin as he thought. He huffed and grumbled. "It seems we will have to make up a sort of schedule. Are you going to make him continue working or are you-"

"I have already talked to headquarters." Will turned back towards the window and sighed. "Grell has been granted leave. Permanent leave."

"And you've yet to tell him this, I'm guessing?" The old man knew Will was strong, but breaking Grell's heart was a weak point for him and it showed.

Long, delicate fingers gripped the windowsill and the window fogged at bit whenever Will breathed. "I haven't spoken to him about it, no." As the reaper thought about the situation he was soon to face, anger grew within him. He spun on his heels and faced the Undertaker. "What the hell am I supposed to say to him? How can I tell him what is going to become of us?"

The old man's eyes snapped up and stared hard at William. He rose and crossed the room, not stopping until he was nose to nose with his ultimate opponent. "You can lie to him, but you can't lie to me, William. We both know the truth and have known it all along. He has one month and you dare tell me you can't scrounge up enough courage to finally tell him the goddamn truth?"

A cold pair of hands suddenly gripped Will's neck and a cool breath was felt upon his ear. The voice that spoke was deadly serious, not a hint of compromise or humor laid in it. "You will tell him, William T. Spears. And you will tell him _tonight_. Are we clear?" The Undertaker leaned back and glared at the shorter reaper.

William gulped and nodded before forcing out a single word. "Crystal."


	14. Warmth

It had always baffled Grell how people didn't think warmth was important as love. As he tossed another log on the fire, his mind wondered aimlessly. Warmth was a very important thing in the world. Without it left you cold and dead.

People always wondered what happened to William; why he became so emotionless. After years of thinking and observing, Grell came to the conclusion that the man had lost his warmth. It was easy to do when you were forced to work alone and to not show emotion.

Warmth held various meanings besides the literal one. Orange, yellow, red; all those colors held warmth. The feelings of being love and cared for; those emotions held warmth. Being beside someone who you cared for deeply; those encounters had warmth.

As he looked down at the hardwood floors underneath him, Grell realized his warmth was lessoning. He got up off his knees and looked at the small fire he had built. After arriving home, the outside temperatures had dropped to below freezing and whether or not the cold barely affected Grell, he decided to make a fire. The flickering flames reminded him of the warmth he had felt; the warmth he longed to feel once more.

The red reaper stood and stared at the fire endlessly. It wasn't until a knock came upon his door that he broke his glare. Grell looked towards the front door and furrowed his brows. He wondered who the hell would possibly be at his house in this kind of weather. It also occurred to him that it was late evening. As he made his way to the front door, he glanced at a clock that revealed it was nearing 8 p.m.

The last thing Grell expected to see on his door step was an anxious-looking William. His face held a questioning gaze, but he pushed aside his thoughts and spoke up. "William. What are you doing here? It's late and cold outside; wouldn't want you to get sick."

William nodded in agreement with Grell. "I know it is, but I needed to come talk to you. I'm sorry it is so late; I tried my best to get off early but it didn't seem to work out."

The redhead looked at Will with a bit of hesitation in his eyes. His mind burned to know what he needed to tell him. "No problem. I wasn't doing anything tonight anyways, but you have to make me a promise if I let you in."

Will raised his eyebrow at Grell but nodded. "And what is that?" He could tell the red reaper was up to something.

Grell paused for a moment, but decided to stick to his plan. "If I let you in here, you stay here for the night. I don't want you out late walking in this weather. Understood?"

A sigh was heard and an eye roll was made, but the other reaper gave in. "Okay. I'll stay here for the evening."

A small smile came upon Grell's lips and he stepped back, allowing William to come in. It had been awhile since Will had come to Grell's place. He usually only showed up to get the redhead out of bed if he was running really late or if he needed him on a day off. Since Grell had long since given up on being a bad employee, William's presence hadn't graced his home in months.

The redhead led William into the living room and let him get comfortable. He whipped up a batch of tea for them and soon came to rest beside Will on the couch. They sipped their tea in silence for a bit, but William knew he was only prolonging the inevitable.

He finished his tea and gently set the cup on the coffee table. After slipping off his jacket and loosening his tie, he laid back and put his arm around redhead beside him. "Grell. I think it is time I tell you the truth."

Upon hearing these words, Grell froze. He put down his cup and turned to face Will, a pit beginning to form in his stomach. "The truth?"

Will nodded. "I…I've been lying to you for some time now. Actually, I have been lying got you since I put you on this case."

"What do you mean, Will?" Grell's words were soft, but the hurt was evident. To know that William had been lying to him for almost two months bothered him.

The other reaper nervously pulled Grell close to him. "I guess I will start from the beginning. Remember when I told you that since you had been good that I would put you on the case?"

After a moment of remembering, Grell nodded. "Yeah, I remember now."

"Good." William continued. "That was my first lie. Headquarters had known since September about the case. They decided to issue it to me, but on one condition: I had to have two other people working with me. I accepted that and chose the Undertaker because I knew he would be of great help. I thought for a while before deciding on who else I should choose. I re-read the file over and over and finally realized that I wanted you to be on the case too, but not because of your good behavior. I wanted you on the case because I knew what was going to happen and I couldn't waste my time by not letting you know."

Confusion rested on Grell's face. "_'What was going to happen.' _What do you mean?"

Will shook his head. "Not yet. I'm not finished." He paused for a second and sighed. "After you agreed to take the case with me, the lies became a regular occurrence. Now, I wasn't lying when I told you I loved you, because I do love you. That is why we are here right now having this conversation."

"I love you too, William. Continue with what you were saying." The redhead's stomach was becoming a hurricane as the other reaper spoke more and more, but he needed to hear him to the end of it.

A nod was given and the breaking set in again. "Grell, our statics aren't a lie; there is a cure and a vaccine being made, but the thing is that there is no way it can be given to anyone but the head reapers. That's another reason I put you on this case; I wanted you to survive." Silence prevailed, but it was obvious he was far from finished. "I'm not entirely sure we can save everyone in our district, but the Undertaker has something up his sleeve. We are going to try our best, but that's all I can promise you." Silence fell again.

Grell looked at William. "Is that all, Will?"

"No. It's not. I lied to you about one more thing. It's the biggest lie I've ever told and I'm so sorry I've done this to you." Tears began to fill his eyes and he tried to blink them back. "Grell, I've been keeping a secret from you."

The redhead wiped a stray tear from Will's cheek. "What is it?"

The reaper took a deep breath and began to speak. "There was a deal that I made recently, without your consent. I thought about it long and hard, but decided it was the best thing for you. I made a deal with the higher ups." He sighed, but continued slowly. "Grell, I…I told them that after this case is finished, you would be released from work. I called it "Permanent Leave". I did this because I don't want you in one of these situations ever again. I know how you love to reap, but if we make it through this, I want you to never step foot back in that office again."

Grell sat there astonished. He couldn't make any words come out of his mouth. It was crazy to be hearing this. To know that he would never go back to work ever again, it was too much.

"Grell…I also told the higher ups one more thing." William suddenly took the red reaper's hand and looked into his eyes.

Grell met his gaze and whispered. "What?"

Will swallowed back his fear and spoke, but his voice came out barely above a whisper. "I told them that if I were to perish, that you would take over my position as supervisor. I would give you everything I had, including my last name, and you would take over my job. Do you think…You could manage that for me? If I were to die?"

"I-I wouldn't be happier than to take your place, William. Even though I hate that you've lied to me, I can understand why." Grell snuggled close to the reaper next to him and sighed.

William pulled the redhead close to him. "So you aren't angry with me? Even though I've kept you in the dark this whole time."

Grell shook his head, "I couldn't be angry even if I wanted to be. Do you know why?" He raised his head and looked up a Will.

William stared down at Grell. "Why?"

The red reaper brought his hand up to Will's face and stroked his cheek. A small smile rested upon his lips and he whispered. "Because you did all of this…Out of love."

* * *

As the night descended on the two reapers, they soon retired to bed. It wasn't long before William was fast asleep, his conscious no longer heavy with secrets and lies. But Grell lay wide awake beside him and smothered himself in that lovely, everlasting warmth.


	15. Bittersweet Farewell

A faint buzzing sound pulled Grell out of his sleep. He groggily sat up and looked around; noticing that his phone was what was causing the sound. Making sure he didn't wake William, the redhead carefully slipped out of bed and grabbed his phone.

After successfully escaping the bedroom, Grell sighed and answered. "Hello?" He had no idea whose number it was that was calling him, which made him a bit reluctant to answer.

A man cleared his throat and spoke. "Uh, yes. Is this Grell Sutcliff?"

"…Yes, it is. Who is this?" A confused expression crossed the red reaper's face. Who the hell was this man?

A sigh of relief was heard. "Good. I'm glad I have been able to contact you, Grell. It's Sebastian."

"Sebas-chan?! What? Why?" It was shocking to know that the demon was calling him. Grell hadn't seen said demon in months.

"Now, now. Let's not rush into questions. I shall explain. I recently heard word that the ancient disease that used to haunt my people has been corrupted and is spreading through your realm. Am I correct?" Sebastian spoke calmly.

"Y-yes, you're correct. The case hasn't even been released to the people in our realm yet, how did you know that-" Grell didn't get to finish his sentence before he was interrupted.

"I doesn't matter how I found out, all that matters is that I know. I believe I may have something that you and your people may find valuable. If you wish to take up this offer, I'm willing to meet you somewhere so we can talk. What do you say, Grell?" The demon's voice was alluring and just hearing it could make you dizzy.

I took a moment of thought but Grell finally gave in. "You say you have something valuable, eh?"

"Yes. I believe it may be able to save your race once the disease enters London. Meet me at the Phantomhive Manor at 8 p.m." Whether or not Grell wanted to go, Sebastian's voice meant business.

Grell nodded absentmindedly. "All right. I shall be seeing you soon, Sebas-chan."

A sultry voice echoed through his ears. "Have a lovely day, Grell."

* * *

The day passed quickly, but not quick enough. Will had finally awoken and Grell had taken up his place to make him breakfast. The two reapers had spent the day together, mostly cuddling on the couch and watching movies. Grell refused to let William know what he was doing that evening and instead told him he needed his 'beauty sleep'. With extreme reluctance, Will had departed around 5 p.m., but not before letting Grell know that he would be checking up on him later that evening.

Once Will had left, Grell hurried to get dressed. He chose to wear a lovely red sweater and black jeans that complemented him just right. A pair of red boots completed the look perfectly.

The redhead now found himself walking down the deserted road that lead to the Phantomhive Manor. Oddly enough, London wasn't as cold as the Shinigami realm and little frost covered the ground. The sun had already set and darkness enveloped the earth. The only light that could be seen was that of the moon and the dimly light manor in the distance.

Gravel crunched under his feet as he approached the front door of the manor and he suddenly realized that the place was no longer being inhabited. No, the manor wasn't in shambles, but it wasn't in the best shape either. It had aged immensely since the Earl's 'death'.

Just as Grell was about to knock on the grand front door, it opened to reveal a fine dressed man. Sebastian stood in front of him, wearing a white dress shirt, a deep red vest, and a pair of expensive looking dress pants. His shoes were polished accordingly and not one hair was out of place.

A warm smile spread across his face and he bowed slightly. "It's good to see you again, Grell." Sebastian rose back up and eyed the reaper. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

A shiver shot through Grell's body, but he refused to show it. "Indeed it has, Sebas-chan. It's been quite boring without you around."

A light laugh escaped his lips and he ushered the redhead inside. "I expect so. I've heard you have been doing your work for once. It's odd to hear such a thing about you." A hint of humor gleamed in his eyes.

"I have been actually. Hey! Who's been telling you all of this about me, huh? Are you stalking me or something?" Grell followed the demon as he led them to one of the many rooms in the manor.

Sebastian shook his head and snickered. "Stalking you, no. Although I do have connections and I do check up on you from time to time. Is that so wrong?" He turned slightly and gave a wicked grin.

Grell giggled. "I guess not. Though I do find it hard to believe that you worry about me."

"Hey now." Sebastian said as he opened a door that led to a large study. "I never said I was worried about you, just that I wanted to make sure that you weren't dead or demoted beyond return."

The red reaper closed the door behind him and took a seat on lovely leather couch in the middle of the room. Sebastian settled in next to him and drew him near. "Whatever you want to say, Sebas-chan. It's obvious that you worry that pretty little head of yours."

The demon rolled his eyes and huffed. "You know exactly how I feel about you, Grell. You also know that I do in fact worry for your safety, which is why I've asked you to come here."

Grell nodded. "So, what is it? That you wanted to give to me." Curiosity had grown wild in the man throughout the day.

"Ah yes. That." Sebastian reached into his pocket and pulled out a small vile. "This" he said as he held up the vial in front of Grell. "is the purest form of a cure to the disease that is currently spreading through your realm."

Shock covered Grell's face and he sat there speechless. He stared at the vile and looked back and forth between it and Sebastian. There was no way he could have the cure!

The demon snickered and took the redhead's silence as an interrogation. "It has been a very long time since the disease has affected my kind, but over the years we took on the task of trying to find a cure. Since I live in a different realm than you, we have different plants. The plant that is needed to make this cure effective is abundant in Hell, whereas in your realm, it is extremely rare." Sebastian seemed to be quite pleased with himself, which wasn't unusual.

It didn't take long for the reaper to find his voice. "So you're telling me that you have not only the cure in your hand, but you have an abundance of the cure?"

"Well, we have vials like this in storage in case we need them. After a few years, it was no longer produced and instead just stowed away." The demon looked at the small container in his hand. The liquid inside was a deep purple and whenever it was seen in the sunlight, it glinted just slightly.

Grell watched Sebastian toy with the vial. "Hell is pretty lucky to have a found a cure then. Our people have found the cure, but like you said, we don't have enough of the ingredients to mass produce it." He sighed and laid his head on the demons shoulder.

Sebastian smiled a bit at the redhead's touch and put his arm around him. "I know. The whole reason I asked you to come here is because I have a gift for you. Not only for you, but for all of your people. Are you ready to see it?"

The red reaper turned and looked up at Sebastian. He smiled at the man and nodded. The demon leaned over and planted a gentle kiss on Grell's cheek before he got up and crossed the room. A small cabinet was opened and a box appeared. Making his way back over to Grell, Sebastian sat the box on the table in front of them and sighed.

"Go ahead and open it, Grell. I can't wait to see your reaction." The demon couldn't help but grin.

Hesitantly, the redhead leaned forward and opened the box. He gasped as he looked inside, realizing that the entire box was filled with vials containing the precious purple liquid. He turned around and whispered. "Is this all for me? For us?"

Barely a nod was given before the reaper attached himself to Sebastian, holding him tight. Tears ran down Grell's cheeks and he could barely breathe. The demon chuckled and pulled the redhead close to him. Whether or not he was destined to be punished for stealing almost every single vial of the potion that he could find, it honestly didn't matter in that moment. Grell was happy and so was he.

Finally, Grell released the demon and looked deep into his eyes. "Thank you so much, Sebas-chan. You honestly have no idea how much this means to me."

"I'm glad you like it. We'll call it a 'going away' present." Sebastian's smile soon faded and a darker tone came to rest in the room.

"'Going away'? What do you mean?" The redhead suddenly felt a string in his heart start to pull.

The demon sighed and took Grell's hand. "Since I am eternally bound to my master, it is very unlikely I will be able to come to the human realm much anymore. I just happened to escape for the evening so that we could meet."

"Oh…" The tears soon came back to Grell's eyes and he squeezed Sebastian's hand. "I'm really going to miss you, Sebby."

"Now don't you cry, Grell. A lady wouldn't want to ruin her make-up, would she?" Sebastian forced a small smile as he wiped away Grell's tears.

The redhead nodded, but the tears continued. He knew it was getting late and the time to leave was approaching. Sebastian, as if he had read Grell's mind, stood up and offered his hand. After taking the box, the two slowly made their way to the front door.

Sebastian walked Grell outside and down the steps. As they turned to face each other, the reality of the situation set in. It was inevitable to pretend otherwise, so neither faltered to speak the truth.

The demon pulled Grell close and spoke softly. "I'm going to miss you very much, Grell. I will continue to check up on you and call you from time to time. Please try to stay out of trouble for me, o-okay?" His voice wavered and he bit his lip to hold back the tears.

"I can't promise you I won't get in trouble, but I can try not to for your sake. Please don't forget me while you're down there with that brat." Grell tried to joke, though it was no use at all.

A sad laugh left Sebastian's lips. He reluctantly let go of the redhead. "I won't forget you. There is no possible way I could." Suddenly the demon reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a necklace. It was a gold chain with a red ruby star pendant attached to it. "Here I want you to have this. I chose a star because no matter where I look in the dark, you will always shine bright to me."

As Sebastian put the necklace on Grell, the reaper spoke. "You're too kind. Thank you so much, Sebby. For everything. I wish I could give you something in return."

"You already have, Grell." The demon placed his hands on either side of the reaper's face and smiled. "You gave me a friendship I could never have with anyone else. I love you, Grell. Forever." Sebastian leaned down and placed a warm kiss on the redhead's lips.

Once they had pulled apart, the two slowly backed away from each other. Grell chose one side of the house and Sebastian chose the other.

Just before the two made their portals for home, Grell yelled. "I love you, Sebastian! Don't you ever forget that! I'll love you even if my heart stops beating!"

Sebastian laughed and retorted. "Your heart doesn't even beat, does it?"

"That's the point, dear! I'm dead!" The redhead smiled and added. "Parting is such sweet sorrow! Goodnight, a thousand times goodnight!"

And with that, Grell and Sebastian created their portals and sadly crossed into their own realms. It disheartened them to no end because once they left the mortal realm, both knew they would never see each other again.

* * *

A/N: This was the saddest chapter I've had to write. :( ***Sidenote: A bit of backstory. (I was going to put it in the actual chapter, but it didn't fit in): For the purpose of this story, I made it as though Grell and Sebastian have established a friendship. They grew very close to each other, though they could never keep up an actual relationship. They agreed to be friends and kept it from Ciel and William.*** By the way, I was thinking of writing a sequel. Yay or nay?


	16. Hard Headed

Grell had barely made his way in the door of his apartment before his phone began to ring. He quickly shut the door and set the box down on his kitchen table. Just before the last ring, Grell answered the phone.

"H-hello?" He huffed and plunked down in a chair at the table.

"Grell! Are you all right?" William sounded a bit worried, which was much like him these days.

The redhead sighed whilst rolling his eyes. "Yes, I'm fine. Actually, I'm better than fine. I have something very important to show you."

"Hmph. That alone scares me. What is it?" It concerned Will that the reaper had something for him. What was it? A dead body?

"Hey! It isn't anything to be scared of, but I can't tell you what it is yet. We need to have a meeting tomorrow morning. Call the Undertaker and tell him to be there to, okay?" The red reaper couldn't wait for the two men to see what he had for them. Just the thought of it brought a smile to his face.

William huffed. "Aren't I supposed to be the one planning meeting?"

"Yes, but this is important. So, please?" Grell whined for a moment, knowing it would win Will over.

A sigh was heard though it was obvious Will had been defeated. "Fine. I'll call Undertaker and let him know. 9 o'clock sharp. Understood?"

"Yes. Thank you, Will! I'll see you tomorrow morning!" With that Grell hung up with a smile on his face.

The redhead whisked away and got ready for bed. As he laid down and tried to sleep, he couldn't help but think about everything that was about to happen. Happiness filled him because he knew that they would be safe. Although deep inside him, that black aura still lingered, waiting.

* * *

The last thing William expected was for Grell to come bustling into his office carrying a box with him. Both he and the Undertaker stared at the redhead in utter confusion for what seemed like an eternity. Although, Grell brushed off their looks and sat smiling at them like he hadn't done a thing.

"Good morning, you two!" The red reaper flashed his signature grin and giggled.

William coughed and raised an eyebrow at the redhead. "Hmm, yes. Hello there, Grell."

The Undertaker laughed and reached over his chair, giving Grell a hug. "Long time no see!"

Grell returned the embrace and nodded. "It has been quite a while. We need to do something, eh?"

"Why yes, I do believe we should! How about-" Sadly enough, the old reaper didn't get to finish his sentence.

"Can we save our date planning for later, please?" Will gave an annoyed look to the reapers in front of him.

The redhead rolled his eyes. "Fine." He reached down and carefully picked up the box. "Are you ready to see the surprise?" A smile was plastered on his face as he gently sat the gift down on Will's desk.

Will and the Undertaker stood up and leaned over the box to see the contents. Finally, Grell slowly lifted the flaps and revealed the small vials to his fellow reapers. There was silence for a long time and confusion soon came to settle in the room.

"Uh, Grell? This is a box of vials." William looked at the redhead, not at all amused.

"No shit, Will. Can you not wait for me to explain?" Annoyance echoed in Grell's voice as he spoke.

A bit taken aback by the red reaper's response, William sat down and became quiet. The Undertaker laughed loudly and fell back in his chair. Carefully, Grell reached into the box and pulled out one of the many vials of liquid.

"Do you see these vials? These vials contain something very important. I believe you will both be pleased to hear what they are." Grell had taken his seat and was eyeing both of the men.

"And what is it they contain, Ms. Grell?" The Undertaker couldn't help but be curious. He had an idea, but there was no possible way…

The redhead looked at the vial in his hand and sighed. "These vials contain the cure for Codon X."

William and the Undertaker's head's both snapped up and looked in Grell's direction. Complete and utter shock showed on their faces. It was obvious that Will didn't believe this.

"There is no way in Hell you have the cure!" Will stood up and glared at Grell.

"…Funny you say that considering these came _from_ Hell." The redhead muttered and looked away.

Shock took over William's face. "Excuse me?!"

"So he was able to contact you?" The Undertaker whispered.

Grell's eyes widened and he directed his attention to the old man next to him. "It-it was you that told him everything! You're the one that he calls to ask how I'm doing. Am I right?"

A solemn nod was given and the Undertaker sighed. "We've been in contact for a while now. He asks about you frequently. When he called and said he had found the cure for us, I told him to contact you. I wanted you all to see each other one last time." His eyes peaked out from behind his bangs and sadness showed in them.

William looked absolutely furious. "Are you talking about that ratchet demon? I've told you a thousand times to stay away from him, Grell."

"It's not my fault you misjudged him, William. And I will do whatever I damn well please." Grell turned away from Will and huffed.

"How do we even know this works?" Will grabbed a vial out of the box and examined it. "I will probably kill us faster than the actual disease will!"

"Sorry, but I doubt that." The Undertaker was serious when he spoke. "I can't be for sure that this is the cure, but I can tell you that Sebastian has no intent to hurt us. And even if he did, he wouldn't do it for Grell's sake."

Will's blood boiled. He turned his attention to Grell, who was still facing away from him. "What are your relations with this demon anyways? I thought he hated you."

"No, he doesn't hate me, maybe in the beginning, but not now. He is just a really close companion of mine, Will. Can we leave it at that?" The redhead finally looked up at William, his eyes pleading.

William sighed, but stayed silent. He looked over the vial once more before he returned it to its original place in the box. It bothered him to no end that Grell had been close to the demon, but he knew from the beginning that keeping the two apart would be inevitable.

"Well." The Undertaker broke the silence. "We haven't many options. Whether or not this is the actual cure, we still must try it. The first case of the illness will be given this medicine. If it fails, we'll throw it out. If it works, we'll use it."

Grell agreed with this and nodded in the old reapers direction. William, stilling being a thick-skulled idiot, sat quietly and said nothing. He was well aware they were waiting for his answer, though he took his time deciding.

After what seemed like an eternity, Will sighed. "Fine, but even if it works, I will refuse to take it whether or not I catch the disease."

* * *

A/N: This chapter sucks, I'm sorry. ;( I've been having ridiculous writer's block. But no worries! The end is near, so get ready! Also, there will be a sequel, so be looking forward to that. :)


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